Paris TV Show Tour in a Open Top Vintage French Car Citroen DS

Paris looks especially good from the back seat of a classic Citroën DS. This private drive turns the city into a moving film set, from Place de l’Estrapade and Café de Flore to Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. The car attracts attention, so you get a little celebrity treatment along with the sightseeing.

I like two things right away: Benjamin combines show locations with real Paris history, and the car lets you cover far more ground than a walking tour. I also like the flexibility. He can stop for photos, adjust the route to your interests, and drop you at a suitable location in central Paris.

The main drawback is the price: $540.95 per group of up to four is a serious spend. This is also a sightseeing drive, not an inside visit to the Louvre, Notre-Dame, or the Eiffel Tower. Think of it as a stylish orientation tour and photo ride, not a replacement for museum tickets or a full walking tour.

Key points at a glance

• Classic Citroën DS: Ride in a comfortable open-top French icon with heating, roomy seats, and plenty of legroom.
• Benjamin as your guide: Expect French anecdotes, city history, filming-location details, and help with photos.
• A private group of up to four: You avoid a large coach and can shape the experience around your own interests.
• A wide Paris route: The drive links the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain, Montmartre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre.
• Best timing: Tours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. are recommended to reduce traffic delays.
• Weather matters: The experience requires good weather, though the car has heating for comfort.

Why the Citroën DS changes the Paris sightseeing experience

A Citroën DS is more than transport here. Its open top gives you a clear view of façades, bridges, monuments, and street life, while its shape makes it an attraction in its own right. Several people who rode with Benjamin noted that pedestrians took photos of the car. You may feel a bit conspicuous, but that is part of the fun.

The car has heating and comfortable seats with plenty of legroom. That matters on a three to four hour ride, especially when Paris weather turns cool. The rear seats do not have seat belts, so children under 10 are not permitted under the stated tour policy. Service animals are allowed.

You are not packed into a sightseeing bus or following a fixed audio recording. Benjamin is the professional driver and guide, and the tour is limited to your group. He can stop for pictures and adjust the emphasis if you care more about Emily in Paris, architecture, cafés, military history, or classic Paris views.

The open-top design has one clear limitation: rain. The experience requires good weather, and poor conditions may lead to a new date or a full refund. Check the forecast before booking, and keep a backup plan for a rainy day.

Benjamin’s style: history, filming spots, and personal attention

Benjamin is a self-employed guide, and that gives the experience a personal feel. He drives, explains the city, and helps you get photographs at good viewpoints. The strongest praise centers on his friendly manner, flexible approach, and ability to blend television locations with broader Paris history.

You should not expect a specialist lecture on every monument. Instead, the tour gives you a flowing introduction to the city as you move between neighborhoods. Benjamin can point out details you might miss from a taxi, then pull over when a location deserves a closer look.

Fans of Emily in Paris get the most obvious theme. Place de l’Estrapade, the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montmartre, and other recognizable streets connect the ride to the show. But you do not need to have watched every episode. The route covers enough major sights and classic neighborhoods to work as a general Paris tour.

One useful detail from the experience is Benjamin’s willingness to tailor the route. If you have already seen some major monuments, you can give more time to filming places or smaller streets. If this is your first day in Paris, you can use the drive to get your bearings before choosing which sites deserve a longer visit.

From the Latin Quarter to Saint-Germain-des-Prés

The route begins among some of Paris’s oldest and most atmospheric quarters. The Latin Quarter is known for its student energy, cafés, and intellectual past, while the Panthéon provides a grand neoclassical landmark nearby. A stop at Place de l’Estrapade gives you a quieter view of the neighborhood.

The square is a useful contrast to the major monuments. Its classic façades and calm setting make it a good place for photographs, and it has a direct connection to Emily in Paris. The listed stop is about 15 minutes, with no admission charge.

The drive then moves toward Saint-Germain-des-Prés, passing the famous Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. These cafés are strongly tied to Parisian literary and artistic life. You will see them from outside unless you choose to return later for a drink or meal, but their location helps explain why this quarter has long drawn writers, artists, and thinkers.

The Jardin du Luxembourg offers another change of pace. Its formal gardens, fountains, and paths provide one of the city’s best outdoor pauses. The tour may not allow enough time for a full garden walk, so treat this as a first look. I would return later if you want to sit by the fountains or explore the grounds at a slower pace.

The route also includes Le Champo cinema, a favorite institution among Paris film fans, plus local meeting places where street musicians may perform. These smaller details keep the outing from becoming a checklist of only famous monuments.

The Palais Royal, Île de la Cité, and the Seine

The Palais Royal is one of the most graceful stops in central Paris. Its arcades, formal garden, and striped Colonnes de Buren create strong photo settings. The listed visit is about 15 minutes, so you will get a taste of the space rather than a long wander through every passage.

Nearby Place de Valois offers a quieter square close to the Palais Royal and the Comédie-Française. Galerie Vivienne adds a covered passage with glass roofing, 19th-century decoration, boutiques, and cafés. These places are especially useful if you like elegant architecture and less monumental scenes.

The tour then reaches Île de la Cité, the historic core of Paris. Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Seine define this part of the city. A 15-minute stop at Notre-Dame gives you time to admire the Gothic exterior and take photographs, but it does not include entry.

Pont Neuf is another listed stop. Despite its name, it is one of Paris’s oldest bridges, linking the city with Île de la Cité. From here, you get one of the classic river views and a better sense of how Paris is arranged around the Seine.

The route also passes Île Saint-Louis and a traditional restaurant associated with Berthillon ice cream. The tour information highlights the ice cream as among the city’s best, but food and alcoholic drinks are not included. Bring spending money if you want to stop for your own treat.

Montmartre: stairs, cafés, artists, and the Sacré-Cœur

Montmartre is the most film-friendly section of the ride. The hill’s stairways, narrow streets, cafés, and old houses give you a very different feel from the grand boulevards of central Paris.

Place du Tertre is the neighborhood’s famous artists’ square. Painters work around the cafés, and the setting can feel busy, especially at popular times. It is worth seeing, but do not expect a quiet village square at all hours.

Rue de l’Abreuvoir is one of the prettiest streets on the route, with old houses and a village-like character. La Maison Rose, the pink café associated with artists such as Picasso and Utrillo, makes a particularly photogenic stop. Rue Lepic adds more recognizable Emily in Paris connections, including the Café des 2 Moulins from Amélie and the area’s historic windmills.

The Moulin Rouge appears later on the Montmartre section. You will see the famous red windmill façade and the theater’s Belle Époque identity from outside. This is a photo stop, not a cabaret booking, so arrange a separate evening ticket if you want to attend a show.

Sacré-Cœur crowns the hill and provides one of the city’s broadest views. The white-domed basilica is free to enter, but this tour’s 15-minute stop is better understood as a quick look and photo opportunity. You may want extra time here later, particularly if you want to climb the steps, visit inside, or sit on the slope below the church.

The Wall of I Love You adds a playful finish to the Montmartre section. The phrase Je t’aime appears in more than 300 languages, making it a natural stop for couples, families, and anyone collecting unusual Paris photographs.

The Arc de Triomphe and the western side of Paris

Parc Monceau and the Courcelles neighborhood show a more residential, polished side of Paris. The park has winding paths, statues, and formal garden design. It is a gentler stop after the hill of Montmartre, though the short schedule means you will not have time for a long park stroll.

The Arc de Triomphe is one of the route’s major landmarks. Its position at the center of the traffic circle makes it impressive from the road, and a 15-minute stop gives you time to photograph the arch and the broad avenues leading away from it. Entry to the rooftop is not included.

The Champs-Élysées follows naturally. This grand avenue mixes luxury shops, historic associations, and heavy traffic. It is famous, but it is not necessarily the most intimate Paris experience. The advantage of seeing it from the Citroën is that you can take in the scale without committing a large part of your day to walking its full length.

The Eiffel Tower and the grand monuments near the Seine

The approach to the Eiffel Tower includes Rue de l’Université and the École Militaire. Rue de l’Université is known for its elegant buildings and views toward the tower, making it one of the better places for a framed photograph.

The École Militaire adds 18th-century military architecture, while Les Invalides brings the subject into sharper focus with its golden dome and Napoleon’s tomb. You will see these landmarks as part of the drive, but the tour does not include interior visits.

A 15-minute Eiffel Tower stop is included. That is enough for pictures and a first look, not enough for a tower ascent. If you want to go up, book that separately and allow extra time. The drive is valuable here because it connects several viewpoints around the tower without requiring you to cross the city on foot.

Pont Alexandre III is another highlight. Its ornate sculptures and sweeping river views make it one of Paris’s most decorative bridges. Nearby Grand Palais and Petit Palais add monumental architecture and museum interest, though opening hours and entry are outside this tour.

The route may also pass the Élysée Palace, the official presidential residence, as well as La Madeleine, Pont de la Concorde, the Luxor Obelisk, and Place de la Concorde. These stops help connect royal, republican, military, and modern French history, but expect a drive-by view unless Benjamin chooses a brief photo pause.

The Louvre, Tuileries, and a final look at central Paris

The Pyramide du Louvre is the final major listed stop. The glass pyramid makes a sharp modern contrast with the palace buildings around it, and a 15-minute pause allows for photos from the courtyard.

The Louvre itself is far too large for a quick visit. I would not book this tour expecting to see the Mona Lisa or any gallery collection. Instead, use the ride to learn where the museum sits in relation to the Tuileries Gardens, Place de la Concorde, the Seine, and the Musée d’Orsay.

The Tuileries provide a formal garden walk between the Louvre and Concorde. The Musée d’Orsay, housed in a former railway station, is another major museum best saved for a separate visit. Its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection deserves several hours, not a rushed stop between car transfers.

This final stretch is a good reason to take the tour early in your stay. You can mark the places you want to revisit, then return by Métro or on foot with a clearer idea of the city’s layout.

Is $540.95 good value for four people?

The price is $540.95 per group, not per person, and the group limit is four. Split four ways, that is about $135 per person. For two people, the cost is much harder to justify, though the privacy and vintage car remain special.

The value depends on what you want from Paris. If you want to cover a large area in three to four hours, receive personal attention, and enjoy a memorable vehicle, the cost can make sense. A private car also helps if your group has limited time or does not want to manage several Métro changes.

The tour is less useful if your priority is entering museums, climbing monuments, or spending long periods in one neighborhood. Those activities need separate tickets and more time. This is best viewed as a broad city introduction with a strong photo and entertainment angle.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included within much of central Paris, but there are important exceptions. Pickup and drop-off are not offered in the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 19th, or 20th arrondissements, including Le Marais, Bastille, République, and Gare du Nord. If your hotel is outside the service area, arrange a meeting point at the Hôtel de Crillon near Place de la Concorde or the Panthéon.

Who should book this Citroën tour?

I would recommend it to Emily in Paris fans, first-time visitors, couples, families with older children, and anyone who wants a fast overview without joining a large group. It also suits people who enjoy cars, photography, and stories about neighborhoods rather than long museum talks.

The tour can be especially useful at the start of a short Paris stay. One three-hour ride cannot replace three days of exploring, but it can show you far more of the city than you could cover on foot in the same time.

I would be cautious if you need seat belts in every seat, dislike attention from passersby, or are visiting during unsettled weather. Children under 10 are not allowed under the stated policy because the back seats do not have seat belts.

Book at least a day ahead if your plans are firm, since cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. For the smoothest ride, choose a time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the operator recommends avoiding heavier traffic.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if the idea of Paris in a classic Citroën sounds as appealing as the monuments themselves. Benjamin’s personal guiding, the flexible photo stops, and the mix of television locations with major landmarks give the ride more character than a standard city transfer.

Skip it if you want deep interior visits or a low-cost sightseeing option. But for a group of four with limited time, a good forecast, and room in the budget, this is a memorable way to get your bearings and see the City of Light in unmistakably French style.

FAQ

How long does the Paris Citroën DS tour last?

The experience lasts approximately three to four hours.

How many people can join the private tour?

The price covers one private group of up to four people.

Is hotel pickup included?

Pickup and drop-off are offered at locations in central Paris, with several arrondissement exceptions. Service is not offered in the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 19th, or 20th arrondissements, including Le Marais, Bastille, République, and Gare du Nord.

Where can I meet the guide if my hotel is outside the pickup area?

You can arrange to meet in front of the Hôtel de Crillon at 10 Place de la Concorde or in front of the Panthéon at Place du Panthéon.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English, with Benjamin serving as the local guide and professional driver.

Are children under 10 allowed?

No. Children under 10 are not allowed because the back seats do not have seat belts.

Does the tour include entry to the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, or Notre-Dame?

No. The experience provides outside visits and photo stops at these landmarks. Admission tickets are not included.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you will be offered another date or a full refund. You can also cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time.